When an assassin fails
by Striks
Summary: I decided to write what would happen if an assassin failed to do his job. please give feedback that'll help, don't flame. It's a short story so it's not gonna have 10s of thousands of words.
1. Failure

The sun, glorious and golden, was at it's highest today observed the assassin as he looked at his surrounds atop of his vantage point. His prey was in this part of Jerusalem according to his informant. Taking a step back he ran and leaped off the edge of the cathedral he was standing on in one graceful dive and landed in a bail of hay fifty metres down. Poking his head out of the hay bail he quickly checked to see if there were no guards, finding none he climbed out and quickly brushed hay out of his clothing. Walking leisurely so not to be spotted the assassin took in his surroundings and listened for clues that would lead him to his target.

"Apples, best apples in Jerusalem and only ten shekels for six.", he heard a nearby merchant call over the chatter of the crowd. Merchants were leeches in his opinion, good for nothing, except for a diversion. He heard various preachers trying to convert people into their religions. He almost spat at the floor at the mention of Christianity but managed to keep his composure and listened for anything that could help him. Then as if his prayer was answered he heard raised voices to his left and looked over peoples heads to get a better view.

"Out of my way heretic" shouted the man who was being escorted by six other guards, two at the front, two at the back and two to his side, with him safely in the middle. This was his man, the informant had been specific in his description. The man was wearing a dark red turban and was carrying a sword on his left hip, the sheath embroidered with all kinds of gems and lined with gold, the assassin guessed that the sheath was worth more than the sword. However, this was no time to admire a goldsmiths handiwork, he had his own job to do.

Looking up to see if there was any way of escaping quickly after the kill he quickly made a path mentally, picturing the rooftops in his mind. He took his usual pose of bowing his head and looking like a monk to blend in and slowly walked over to his kill. Then with one fluid motion he ran jumped off of one of the guards in the front and time slowed to a crawl as his hidden blade sprang out of his arm like a serpent and the assassin plunged in the man throat. As he looked into the man's eyes a moment passed between them that lasted for eternity and he couldn't describe it but at that the moment, the assassin and his mark understood each other like two brothers understood each other. Then time started up again and he heard screaming and chaos going on around him.

"ASSASSIN!" bellowed one of the guards and that was cue to leave. Quickly cutting down the one guard in front of him he raced to the beginning of his route to freedom. Putting one foot on the wall he propelled himself upwards on to a ledge and swiftly pulled himself up on it. He saw a handhold that he could use and threw himself at it. Latching he climbed to the top of the roof and sprinted out of sight of everyone. This was the most exciting part of his job, the adrenaline rush he got from leaping between rooftops while those cowardly guards ran on the streets, too afraid to face him up here. He could see the assassin's bureau now, the entrance on the rooftop so no one could get in unless they knew how, he raced at it now, faster than before and as he took one last leap the roof he was meant to land on gave way beneath him and he was plummeting down three storeys . As he hit the ground he heard a crunch and gave a momentous howl of agony at his broken leg. The pain was unbearable but he was so close, he had to make it, had to…. He fell to the floor in a heap and lay there awaiting his death from the approaching guards.


	2. A second chance

- You thought it was all over, it's not :) -

**A second chance**

The assassin woke up the next morning, and immediately felt a stabbing pain going all the way up his leg, grappling the leg swiftly to try to stop the pain he waited what seemed ages before it stopped. Once it stopped he took a deep breath and relaxed back on the bed he was in. The room he was in was pretty small. It was quite dull with few decorations. A flower pot stood on the windowsill, rays shining on the flower, and a painting of the docks in Acre were on the wall to the left. Either than a stool and the bed there were no furnishing in the room. Hearing a nock at the door he quickly pulled the covers over him and pretended to be asleep.

As the door opened a woman walked in with a wash basin, the woman couldn't have been older than 20 she was wearing a brown apron above her grey clad dress which was ripped in places. As she placed the basin by the floor next to the assassin's bed, he got up as quickly as his broken leg would let him and seized her by the throat.

"Who are you?" he asked in his most menacing voice. The woman gave a squeak before replying.

"M-Maria sir, my name's Maria, my mother found you on the street all covered in your own blood and brought you in", she seemed to regain some of her composure after he let go of her throat, "You're lucky we brought you in when we did, there's an assassin running loose, the guard's been looking for him everywhere, they don't what he looks like though so they don't really know what they're looking for". So the guards hadn't killed him, the assassin didn't know what was worse, living in shame or being killed by those pathetic excuses for guards.

"How long have I been here", he asked, while sitting back down on his bed.

"A week sir, ma wasn't sure you were going to make it, you'd lost a lot of blood."

"Thank you for helping me, not many people would have stopped to help a wounded man", she gave him a big smile then.

"Sir if you don't mind me asking, what is your name?", the assassin stayed silent for a few moments then decided it was safe for her to know his real name.

"I am Jaime Ibn'al -Lahad"

"Oh that's a mouthful, can I call you just Jaime?", he nodded.

"Maria, did anything happen in the week that I was asleep?"

"Well let me think, well someone tried to kill the baron and guards have been looking for that person ever since"

Jaime's jaw almost dropped at the mention of the baron, why was he not dead, he remembered clearly stabbing him in the throat, he couldn't have missed, could he?

That settled it, he had to get out of this house and finish his job.

"Thank you for your hospitality, but I must no go now, my father will be worried sick about me" that was a lie, Jaime's father was killed when he was only ten and his mother died three years after at the hands of templars, which led him to become an assassin. As he tried to get his leg wouldn't let him and he fell back on the bed again.

"See you can't even stand let alone walk, no you stay here for a few more days, your father would want you fit and healthy when you got back." huffed Maria.

At the moment the window shutters exploded into hundreds of tiny fragments, which splattered on the floor, and two hooded figures stepped in, blades at the ready. Jaime's first reaction was to reach for his sword but that wasn't there.

He heard a scream come from Maria as one of the intruders seized and pushed her up against the wall, then, silence was all that he heard and Maria's body was lifeless. She fell to the floor and the hooded man pulled his sword from her body.

Seeing that Jaime lost all control of himself, he lunged for the closest guard, not caring about his still healing foot, and grabbed the weapon wielding arm, punched his elbow upwards so the bone broke and poked out of the flesh. The guard dropped his sword with a shriek of agony, Jaime picked it up swiftly as a cobra and jammed it down the man's throat to stop the scream. The other guard barely had any time to respond before Jaime's sword met his, and they danced the dance of death which only one would walk away from. The guard was a competent fighter but he made a fatal mistake by trying to spear Jaime, which he dodged, spun on his hell so he faced the guard from the side and took one great swoop to cut the guard's head off.

The head fell to the floor with a dull thud and Jaime dropped his sword, which clattered, and limped over to Maria's body. Kneeling down he picked up her head and placed it on his knee. She looked almost peaceful, eyes closed and face expressionless. Reality hit him then and questions burst into his head, _Who were those men?, How did they know where to find me, Where are my weapons?._ All he knew now was that he had to get out and make his way to the assassin's bureau and find some answers. Bur first, he picked up Maria and placed her on the bed where her mother would find her thinking she was asleep. Taking one last look at her he climbed out the window and limped towards answers.


	3. Answers

**Answers**  


Walking pained Jaime to no end, he had seen several guards with their swords drawn in the last half hour and there seemed to be a lot more than before, the baron must be afraid another assassin might try to get to him, he smiled at the little victory over the baron. Staying on the alleyways Jaime slowly made his way across what seemed like the whole of Jerusalem before he found his destination, the assassin's bureau, the one place in the entire city where he did not have to think that every drink was poisoned and that everyone was out to get him. Coming out of the shade provided by the tall buildings he walked up to the ladder leading to the entrance. Climbing it as swiftly as he could, which wasn't that quick, he got on to the roof and called for anyone who was inside the bureau.

"Hello, can anyone hear me in there?", he heard footsteps getting closer and then an old man appeared out of the bureau. He had shoulder length grey hair, a beard that he never seemed to shave and he wore a dark robe above his assassin uniform.

Taking one look at Jaime his eyes widened and he hastily opened the entrance. Jaime climbed down as rapidly as he could but had to have help from the old man to reach the bottom.

"Oh thank God you're alive Jaime, there's been news all over the city that the guards are killing anyone looking suspicious, orders of the baron, I thought they had you, but obviously not because here you are, alive and in the flesh", the old man had a grandfatherly voice which made most people feel at ease around him, although if you knew the man you would also know that he could kill a person without breaking a sweat, Jaime had learned the hard way when he threatened the man back when he was practically a novice thinking he was better than the rest.

"Yes I am alive", he replied, "but only by the skin of my teeth, Varin, I need answers, and a drink". Varin nodded in understanding and led him inside the bureau. The inside was quite gloomy. Two lamps lit the whole place, on opposite ends of each other, a painting of a templar on horseback standing above his dead foes while an assassin was looming up to kill him was hanging on the wall.

Varin led Jaime to the nearest table and sat him down.

"Now, maybe you can tell me why the hell you have been missing for a week and why the baron is still alive." Taking a sip of the warm wine Varin had brought him, Jaime recounted the 'kill', how he had tried to escape, the roof crumbling, waking up in Maria's house a week later, his voice took a dangerous tone now, he then started talking about the intruders. Once he finished the story, Varin sat in his chair with his chin on his fist, he seemed to be lost in thought and then suddenly he sprang back to life again.

"What did you say these intruders looked like" he asked as if piecing together a puzzle.

"They were dressed in dark brown clothes, breeches, shirts with some king of insignia on the shoulder, it looked like a hawk eating a rat, and their faces were fully covered, except for their eyes, by a piece do black cloth". He had made a mental of image of those men so he could find the rest and make them pay for killing an innocent.

"oh dear, this is not good, not good at all" Varin said, he stood up then paced around the room for a while, sat back down and looked at Jaime in the eye.

"Those men, they are a faction of traitor assassins that kill anyone, they desecrated the creed", he said this in a grim voice and spat at the floor when he finished.

This new information hit Jaime as hard as a fist in the face, he couldn't believe that his own brothers could betray the creed, the creed was what the assassin's stood by and these traitors had the nerve to break. Oh he would make them pay, not just to avenge Maria but to show them what happens to traitors. Looking at Varin straight in the eye, he spoke.

"I'm going to need a change of clothes and new weapons Varin and I'll need them as quickly as you can"

"But you've only just got back, you have to rest" replied Varin worriedly.

"I've rested long enough, I must got as quickly as possible."

"Where are you going."

Jaime smiled a bitter smile.

"Hunting."


	4. A Clue

**A Clue  
**

Jaime wiped the sweat off his brow as he surveyed the ground below the cathedral he was perched atop. Varin had given him a change of clothes, the assassin's robes although they were a little dirty on the sides, a hidden blade that he had found in the storage of the bureau, it seemed to rusty to work but one flick of the wrist and the knife sprang out like it was possessed, and perhaps most important for his task he had given him a place to start. Varin heard news from all over Jerusalem and his informant had told him that there were men asking for a man that matched Jaime's description. The trade district of Jerusalem was always busy, merchants shouting to be heard over the rabble, peasant children running across the streets and people just minding their own business. Suddenly out of the corner of the road he was surveying came one of the traitors and Jaime moved faster than he had before, the leg didn't hurt so much anymore, taking a step back he then ran at full speed off of the vantage point and into a cart of hay below, for now no one would die, he would just follow the traitor until he was led to their hideout and then he would-

"ASSASSIN!" cried someone from the crowd and at that moment five of the black clothed traitors jumped down from the rooftops and surrounded him. The other he was following was no where to be seen, Jaime cursed at his own stupidity for walking into a trap. It seemed there would be killing today, if only he had a sword, everyone in the crowded street had dispersed and it was just them. Taking a defensive stance, fists raised up to his face Jaime waited for them to attack.

One to his side drew his weapon in a flash and charged, sword lunging straight for Jaime's heart, Jaime then took a quick step to the left, grabbed the man's arm, and used his own momentum to throw him into the three other traitors on the opposite side, this caused him to drop his sword, which Jaime picked up hastily. Now that he had a decent weapon he could end these traitors miserable lives. Charging at the closest one, Jaime gave him a huge gash between in his legs, which caused to get on his knees, then spun sword around and brought it down on his head, which then fell to the floor with a thud and raising dust. That was one down, four to go. Two of them charged at him next, Jaime evaded the first but the second cut him across the left arm, which sent a searing pain all the way up it. The two again went to attack him but this time he was ready, using his sword arm he plunged his sword into the first one's stomach and let him fall, as the second one jumped at him, sword above his head, Jaime drew his hidden blade in one quick motion and thrust it into his face. Four down, two to go. The last two seemed hesitant, Jaime smiled at this, they had just seen four of their brethren cut down and they didn't want it to happen to them. Then they both dropped their swords and started running. Jaime chased after them as fast as he could. They were quite agile, they moved with the fluidity of any trained assassin, but he was better, they were now trying to climb up the side of a building to get to the rooftops. Jaime jumped and grabbed onto the slowest one's leg. Pulling him down with all his strength, the traitor fell to the floor face first, Jaime pulled out his hidden blade and put it on the traitor's neck.

"Scream and I kill you, move and I kill you, breath without my permission and I kill you, understand?!" Said Jaime through gritted teeth, he wanted to kill the man but he needed information first. The traitor seemed to understand the seriousness of his situation for he hadn't uttered a word since being dragged to the ground. Calming himself Jaime spoke again.

"Now tell me, why are you trying to kill me", The man said nothing, so Jaime pressed the dagger closer to his throat and drew a bit of blood.

"ok, ok, we were sent to kill you."

"Who sent you?"

"Our employer"

"Who is that?" Jaime was getting impatient, people were starting to come back into the street and he could hear the shouts of guards in the distance. At that moment Jaime felt something zoom past his ear, when he looked at where it might have come from he saw nothing, turning back to interrogating he saw that a dart was hanging off the side of his captives neck.

Turning him over to look at him, the traitor was dying, Jaime grabbed him by the collar.

"Quickly tell me who is your employer!"

The traitor took one last breathed out one word.

"Baron", and then he was still.

Jaime had no time to process what had just been said because at that moment a squadron of guards appeared and were running straight for him.

Seeing if there was any escape he found a way up on to the roofs where he saw a roof garden he could hide on. Sprinting up onto a box he jumped off it and latched onto a beam just above him. Pulling himself up he then jumped between the beams like an acrobat, he soon ran out of beams and walked over a wall that led to a rooftop. Running up it he climbed onto the roof and started to run again, when his leg decided to spasm, he collapsed onto the floor in a huddle. This couldn't be happening again, it just couldn't be, no he wouldn't let it. Searching desperately for that roof garden he found it a short roof hop away. Pulling himself to his feet, he pushed all the pain out of his mind and concentrated on the jump. Clenching his fist he ran at full speed towards the edge and leaped as far as he could with an injured leg. His legs met stone as he landed onto the next roof and he rolled awkwardly to minimise the pain. He was only an arm's length away from the roof garden now and hurriedly climbed in and stayed quiet while the guards outside were trying to find him. After what seemed an hour they left. He still sat their in the garden though, pondering what the traitor had said.

"Baron" He said out loud as if the word contained some secret meaning. It seemed he needed to pay the baron a little visit tonight and all he had to do to get to him was go through his mini army of guards. He chuckled quietly at the absurdity of his plan as the sun went down.


	5. A New Job

**A New Job**

Jaime moved like a shadow, swift and silent, running across the rooftops under cover of dark. Jerusalem looked different at this time, because now is when all the rapists, murderers and thieves roamed the streets of the so called holy city. He had no time for them however for his mind was set on one place, the apartments of the baron. Varin had given him a new set of clothes that would not attract attention from the guards. It was a guard outfit, brown leather chest piece, dark brown cloth trousers, and a guards swords. Varin told him that as long as he did what the guards expected he would be invisible to them. So once he was outside the baron's apartments he climbed down from the roof onto a ledge just below and then drop to the ground, as his feet impacted the floor dust rose, which made him cough.

"Who's there" demanded a voice. Thinking quickly Jaime went out into the open and spoke to the guard in front of him.

"Sorry, that was me, I tripped, bloody roads are full of rocks."

"Who are you?", inquired the guard in a gruff voice.

"I'm a new employee, I was told to guard the baron's room"

"Another one eh", he muttered something under his breath about the baron being scared of his own shadow, "well come on then you should be at your post."

This was much easier than Jaime had expected, he thought that maybe he should dress inconspicuously more often. As they passed the two black gates that towered of both of them, Jaime counted fifteen guards around this side of the building, the baron must really be afraid of something. The guard put a hand on his chest to stop him and Jaime tensed.

"I'm guessing you were told where the baron's rooms were?" Jaime loosened his muscles and replied.

"See there I go being a trollop again, I plain forgot", the guard muttered something about there not being any good workers these days, which Jaime guessed he wasn't supposed to hear.

"You go up these stairs here", he pointed at the stairs inside the open double doors of the building, "as soon as you get to the top, turn left, then go down the corridor and take a right. Then it's the first door on the right. You got that?"

"Yes sir" replied Jaime, and without further conversation walked towards the stairs, however, before he even managed to put a foot on the first step, the guard called to him and Jaime almost unsheathed his hidden blade before regaining control.

"I almost forgot, be quiet up there, he gets cranky when he doesn't get enough sleep", Jaime smiled.

"I'll be as quiet as a shadow.", seeming satisfied the guard turned on his heel and marched to his post. Turning back to the stairs he climbed and thought about what he would say once he met the baron.

The inside of the building was different from the outside, everything was polished, the floor was made out of marble, curtains made from velvet hung on windows that seemed too big, and golden lanterns lit every hallway. The baron really knew how to accessorise. All the corridors looked the same, Jaime got lost a few times and had to back track but finally he made it to the baron's room. Two guards were sitting down on stool on each of the door playing a game of dice. It looked like the one on the left was winning since he had a fist of money and was clutching it like it was treasure.

Before they knew what had happened Jaime had sprung his hidden blade, grabbed the guard that was winning, thrust the dagger in his throat and let him fall to the floor silently. The second guard had just opened his mouth to shout when the blade slid inside it and came out the other side of his head. He made a choking noise and his eyes rolled in their sockets before he too, collapsed.

Jaime hid them both out of site of any approaching guards and silently turned the doorknob to the baron's room. Once inside he quickly laid his eyes on the baron, who seemed to still be sleeping. He was laying on his bed, which had huge posts that scraped the ceiling and had a violet see-through veil covering it, he seemed at peace, hard to think he was a murderer.

Pushing a part of the veil aside, Jaime slowly climbed on the bed, hidden blade unsheathed, and placed on the man's neck.

"Psst" he whispered in the baron's ear and the man's eyes sprung open. Jaime quickly covered his mouth so that all he made was muffled noises which wouldn't be heard outside.

"Stop trying to scream or slice your flabby neck" Jaime whispered fiercely.

The noises quickly ceased and the baron lay still.

"Good, now, I have some questions for you", unclasping the baron's mouth he took his hand away. The baron still laid there though.

"Why should I help you, you'll just kill me afterwards anyway."

"If you don't help me I'll kill you right now", replied Jaime as he traced a line with tip of his blade across the man's neck. The baron whimpered.

"Ok, ok, I'll tell you what you want to know, just don't kill me, please"

"Good, how did you get a hold of rogue assassins?"

"All assassins are rogue" spat the baron.

Jaime grabbed his throat and squeezed until the was making strangled noises.

"Assassins are not rogues, assassins protect innocents, we kill those who deserve it and not for money." he said through gritted teeth. "Now tell me, how did you get a hold of rogue assassins?"

In a strangled voice the baron replied.

"They approached me, they said that an assassin was going to kill me and offered to protect me, so I accepted"

"How did you survive a knife to the neck?"

"The day that you attacked me they were following me on the rooftops, and when you stabbed me and ran they cam down, stopped the bleeding and stitched me up, they said I was lucky to be alive." He wasn't lying, Jaime saw stitches on the point where he had stabbed the man. Then it hit him as if he had just slammed into a brick wall, the baron had known he was going to be killed before Jaime had even been told who his target was. This meant that there was a traitor in Masyaf, and a high ranking one if he knew who was going to die. He had to get back and tell the master, he would know what to do.

"Thank you for cooperation baron", he let go of the man's throat.

"You won't get out you know, I'll have them hunt you down and kill, you'll never esca-", he never got to finish that sentence because Jaime had just plunged the blade deep into his neck, so deep it came out the other side. This time he watched the baron die to make sure, then laid him down onto the bed and put the blanket over him, he looked at peace now.

Walking out of the building was easy since no one knew the baron was dead yet. He walked up to the guard had at the gates who looked at him and spoke sharply.

"What is it?"

"I've been told to go home, the guards up there have it all under control" he replied respectfully.

"Ok then, well go, I have no time for idle chatter."

"And sir; I didn't make a noise"

The guard waved a hand dismissively and turned back to watching for intruders as Jaime walked out of the gates.

This job was done, but there was a more serious matter, all he knew now was he had to get back home as quick as possible.

He went to the stables and rode his horse out of Jerusalem, the cold night wind felt good on his face.

**The End**


End file.
